Scientists at Cornell University have found a new way to see how proteins work together inside living cells. They use the cells' own flavoproteins as tiny sensors. This helps them study how molecules connect, including those in viruses.
This method can help us understand what goes wrong with proteins in diseases. The team, led by Brian Crane, used flavins, which are small molecules with special magnetic properties. These can be seen using a technique called electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy.
By looking at flavoproteins, researchers can track how other molecules move around inside cells. They discovered that some flavoproteins are more stable than we thought. They also created a tool called iLOV to study protein shapes.
The team used this method to study a bacteria protein called Aer. They saw how Aer puts itself together inside a living cell. They learned that Aer forms groups of molecules that make signals stronger.
This study shows that ESR can now be used to study things happening inside living things.